Kettlebell workout can be tailored to skill level, age

Nancy Anderson didn’t like to exercise, her husband, Chuck, had been active since high school and their daughter, Jill Morehouse, had never really worked out before.

Then, the family found one workout they could do together that worked for each of them.

Using weighted balls called kettlebells, they can each workout to their specific skill level in one class.

Fitness instructor Tracey Mackie teaches the classes.

“Kettlebells is great because you don’t have to be perfect; skill level, injury and age is not a barrier,” Mackie said.

“I’m aware of who is in my class and can help them get a workout for their skill level. They’re getting more than just coming to swing some little ball around.”

Mackie’s classes use kettlebells for cardio, strength and flexibility training. Using the round, handled weights, people can burn 20 calories per minute while working out more muscles than weight training and elevating their heart rates.

“It’s a full body workout all in that basic swing,” Mackie said.

Before kettlebell training, Nancy Anderson, 53, tried Zumba and jazzercise, but said she didn’t enjoy the workouts. She and Morehouse, 33, joined in September, just after Morehouse gave birth to her third child.

“I’m a typical ‘nonexerciser.’ I don’t like to exercise, but I really like this because it’s something I feel like I can do,” Anderson said. “(Mackie) wants you to listen to your own body and go at your own pace.”

Morehouse said she had never really worked out before.

“I just wanted to get in shape to keep up with my kids,” she said. “I like that I get a really good workout. I can really feel my muscles build and get stronger consistently.”

Chuck Anderson, 59, played baseball and football in high school and has stayed active since. He was doing the P90X home workout program before joining his wife and daughter in kettlebells classes last month.

“It’s intense enough for me. The best part about kettlebells is you don’t feel like you’re working out that hard, but you are,” he said. “I use a heart rate monitor, and it’s gotten higher than I ever got with P90X.”

Mackie teaches kettlebell training in 30-minute classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Marysville and on Mondays in Everett through each city’s parks and recreation department.

“When they come to my class, we are just streamlining that baby down,” Mackie said. “For them to get a real workout in 30 minutes, we want to do everything right. Every squat counts, every press counts.”

After 18 years in the fitness industry, Mackie said she has tried everything from aquatics to kickboxing, but nothing was really exciting until she came across kettlebells four years ago.

“It’s simple, doable, and I really saw a difference in my own body,” she said.

She now teaches the workout exclusively.

To get started, Mackie asks that people come and watch the program.

“It’s a tough workout, but I can ease them into it,” she said. “I don’t recommend them to just pick one up and start swinging.”

Ashley Stewart; 425-339-3037; astewart@heraldnet.com.

Kettlebells classes

Cost: $40 to $45 per month for two classes a week through the parks and recreation departments.

Tracey Mackie offers personal training at your home for $50 to $55 per hour.